


Nightmare

by GamblingDementor



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, In which Aden is the fandom, Nightmares, This is my coping with Thirteen, lexa deserved better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 21:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6167053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamblingDementor/pseuds/GamblingDementor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aden had a bad dream and finds comfort with his moms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmare

The creek of a door in the silence of the night wakes her up. Lexa rubs her eyes, opens them to the darkness of the room. She listens beyond the quiet breathing of Clarke sleeping beside her and recognizes the _tap-tap-tap_ of her son's footsteps on the wooden floor in the hall. The sliver of light under the door is the final giveaway and she is already sitting up by the time Aden actually opens the door. 

 

"Mom?" 

 

His voice is no more than a whisper but in the dead of night, she hears it crystal clear. 

 

"Yes?" 

 

He's standing in the doorway, clutching the little dog plushie Lexa got for his birthday that he loves so much, but only at night because he's a big boy now and he doesn't take his toys everywhere with him. He doesn't say a word, but when she pulls up the corner of the covers he trots up to the bed and climbs up to snuggle against her. She wraps an arm around him, her precious son, and pulls him to the middle of the bed, between her and Clarke, like she always does when he comes to their room in the middle of the night. It's a rare occurrence these days. He is growing, almost eight now. Soon he won't be coming at all. 

 

His cheeks are wet against her shoulder when she hugs him close. She doesn't ask. He'll talk at his own pace, he always does. Her hand finds his hair, strokes it − he'll need a haircut soon, she notes. The other traces patterns on his back, trying to soothe. 

 

"I had a bad dream," he mutters finally, his head burying against her neck and his voice faint. 

 

"Will you tell me what it was?" she asks softly.

 

For a while, he doesn't reply. In her sleep, Clarke turns to face them, her face calm and beautiful. When Aden speaks, he's grasping her shirt tight in his little fist. 

 

"You were dead." 

 

Her heart clenches with shared sorrow. He's had that dream before, though she doesn't know why. Maybe in another life, there is a reason, an explanation. In this life, she'll soothe that thought every time it troubles him. 

 

"There was blood and… and mom was crying and…"

 

"Shhh…"

 

Her hand cradles his head, making him look at her. Still unshed tears are glimmering in his eyes as he seems to be reliving the nightmare. She smiles, kisses the top of his head, trying to convey all her love.

 

"It wasn't real, Aden," she whispers. 

 

Behind him, Clarke twitches, her eyes scrunching up. She'll be awake soon. 

 

"I know, but…" 

 

"I'm right here. I'm safe." Her thumb brushes against his cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, ever." 

 

"It was so _real_!"

 

"What was real, sweetie?" Clarke asks. Lazily, she stirs to enclose the both of them under her arm.

 

"He had the nightmare again," Lexa replies. 

 

Clarke's hand is warm against her back, her fingers brushing her skin numbly, sleepily. Between them, Aden is in the middle of the snuggest hug, but it's Clarke she's watching now. The way her brows are knit with compassion, the way her eyes soften at the sight of their son, the way her hold on Lexa's back tightens immediately, protectively.

 

"Again," she sighs. "I'm sorry, Aden. I wish the nightmares would stop."

 

"Me too."

 

Aden nods. They're hugging him, but even then they're holding each other, their arms tight around each other's waist, their son in the middle. 

 

"I'd never let your mom get hurt, you know that, right?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"She's  _safe_ ," Clarke says in her assertive but soothing voice. " _You_ 're safe. I'm safe as well."

 

"Promise?"

 

"Promise. Lexa will never get hurt, not on my watch. I won't accept that."

 

Lexa snorts silently. Of course Clarke would say that. Protective even of her in some nightmare.

 

"Do you want to stay here for the night?" Clarke asks after a while. 

 

He nods lazily, already rubbing his eyes. Lexa gives him a pillow, tucks him nice and comfortable between them. He falls asleep his arm still around her waist, as if to make sure she's here and won't ever go away. When his breathing calms down and his brows stop furrowing, she knows his sleep won't be troubled anymore tonight. She looks up to find Clarke staring at her, her eyes unreadable. 

 

"What _is_ this dream?" She sounds defeated. 

 

"An illusion. A nightmare," Lexa answers.

 

"Do you think it'll pass?" 

 

"Everything passes. Aden is strong. He'll see that I'm still here." 

 

Clarke sighs and closes her eyes. She stirs, making herself comfortable for sleep.

 

"I hope you're right."

 

Lexa watches as the two people she loves the most are here with her, and they really _are_ safe just like Clarke said.

 

"What you told him," She tells Clarke and her wife smirks without opening her eyes. "That was nice."

 

"I'd do anything for my family, you know that." 

 

"Then I'm glad to be included in that." 

 

Their hands clasp in the dark, fingers intertwining. Clarke's thumb draws circles against her palm. It's soothing, though Lexa isn't the one who needs comforting. 

 

"Good night, Clarke," she whispers.

 

"Good night, Lexa," Clarke replies and leans in for a kiss. 

 

As Lexa closes her eyes and tries to find sleep, she can feel Clarke's pulse under her fingers, the warmth of Aden between them, and she feels calm. The nightmares won't trouble her child for long, they can't. Nothing will ever happen to her, there is no reason to. So they will pass. Her last thought before slumber takes her is of Clarke. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry if this isn't any good, this is my first time writing for this fandom and I'm still so sore and heartbroken to be any real judge. Thank you for everyone who reads this. If you could leave words of support, I'll need them.


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